Chapter 3931: Survival from Death
Yu Wenshiji had a headache. He originally had a small thought in his mind to defect to the East Palace and completely control the Guanlong clan and become a new generation of "Guanlong leader" after Changsun Wuji's death. However, after listening to Changsun Wuji's analysis, Suddenly, I felt that even if I defected to the East Palace, I would not get any real benefits.
Because even the East Palace is likely to be politically controlled by the powerful families in Shandong and Jiangnan, and militarily ignored by Li Ji and Cheng Yaojin...
This made him a little depressed.
Could it be that a mere "Guanlong leader" can't even hope for it?
……
Everyone was silent for a while, and Linghu Defen asked worriedly: "What should we do? Now the army under the command of Gao Kan is at the foot of the mountain. If we refuse, we will attack with all our strength in an instant, plus the troops stationed outside Chunming Gate. , Cheng Yaojin, who has ulterior motives, has no chance of winning.”
The reason why they retreated here was not because they wanted to turn defeat into victory, but because they were trying to gain a glimmer of hope by using the constraints of the struggle between Donggong and Li Ji, Shandong, Jiangnan and other forces.
Now Youtunwei and Cheng Yaojin are eyeing these remnants of Guanlong, and may send troops in the next moment to catch them all...
Changsun Wuji was calm and composed, sipping tea, and said calmly: "Simple, just agree to the prince. I am worried about a condition of exchange, which is to pardon my crimes, allow me to retain my title, and return to the mansion to retire."
The other three were astonished, and Dugulan hesitated: "Is this...possible?"
He raised an army to depose the prince, destroyed half of the city of Chang'an, almost razed the Taiji Palace to the ground, and suffered natural disasters throughout Guanzhong and made the people miserable... Changsun Wuji was the culprit for all of this. The national law cannot tolerate him, and the prince even more It is hatred that penetrates to the bone.
How could it be possible to forgive his crime and allow him to return to his mansion to live out his life?
Changsun Wuji said firmly: "He will do it."
For the prince, being able to get the wealth accumulated by the Guanlong clan for generations and put it into the national treasury would make the imperial power as stable as Mount Tai, and the Guanlong subjects would help him fight against the clans in Shandong and Jiangnan. It can be said that he kills two birds with one stone. Why not?
How could his eldest grandson Wuji's mere life be compared with the imperial power? As long as the prince has the slightest bit of a heroic attitude, he also knows how to choose...
As long as the prince agrees to this condition, Cheng Yaojin will not send troops to the remnants of Guanlong who are currently entrenched in Zhongnan Mountain, and the Youtun Guards will retreat. Even though Li Ji is unwilling to do so, he is out of reach. By the time he returns to Chang'an, the overall situation has been decided. So what?
As long as he can keep his life, even if he lives in seclusion in the mansion, he will still be the leader of Guanlong. This will be enough to firmly control the Guanlong clan, and it will not be difficult to earn a place in the court where all forces will compete in the future.
I don’t know, maybe I can wait until I have the chance to make a comeback...
Yu Wenshiji carefully thought about it and was surprised to find that Changsun Wuji was definitely not dreaming. As long as the prince and the people around him could put the overall situation first, they would most likely pardon Changsun Wuji in exchange for the full support of the Guanlong clan.
In this way, Changsun Wuji not only escaped death, but could even continue to control the Guanlong clan...
This made him not sure whether he was happy or sad.
The good news is that Changsun Wuji is the leader of Guan Long in terms of power and tactics, and no one can surpass him. If he can continue to lead Guan Long, Guan Long's future will naturally be bright, and he will be able to come back to life in a desperate situation; the worry is that Once Changsun Wuji really escapes from danger, his long-cherished position as the leader of Guanlong will be completely overturned. Even if he defectes to the prince, it will not work...
Am I not destined to be a leader in this life?
*****
It was drizzling, and the city of Chang'an, which had just experienced a rebellion that lasted for more than half a year, was in chaos. Rainwater flowed freely on the streets and alleys, and human and animal excrement was washed away by the rain and flowed everywhere. The once glorious and prosperous capital of the world is now dilapidated and covered with gray. Yi.
After the Sixth Leader of the East Palace completely took over the defense, the East Palace immediately formulated a plan to restore order in the city. All Guan Longxungui were arrested, and all the mansions were sealed. The remaining princes, princes, ministers, and dignitaries also stayed behind closed doors, fearing that they would be affected. .
The Guanlong Clan is entrenched in Guanzhong, and its strength is deep-rooted. Everyone has entanglements with each other, and it is difficult to completely separate them. What's more, when the Guanlong Clan raised troops to revolt, I don't know how many descendants attached to it and waved the flag. Now that Guanlong is defeated, the East Palace After a reversal and victory, who knows whether the prince will have made an account of these people and settle it now...
Although the war came to an end, as countless Guanlong disciples were imprisoned and their properties were seized, the city of Chang'an was in turmoil. The tense atmosphere not only did not diminish, but became even more tense.
After all, the previous rebellion was only against the Prince of the East Palace. The war was limited to the front line of Taiji Palace, and his presence in the city rarely affected him. However, now that the Prince is settling the matter afterwards, no one can guarantee that they will not be involved. Naturally, they are frightened and have trouble sleeping and eating.
After all, His Majesty Li Er has probably passed away. It is only a matter of time for the prince to ascend the throne after putting down the rebellion. No one in the royal family can threaten his status as prince. Who dares to touch the prince at this time? Many people even prepared money and food in advance, just waiting for people from the East Palace to come to their door, and then immediately showed their loyalty and donated money to assist the East Palace in relieving the people in Guanzhong.
Jingzhao Yin Ma Zhou was an official. As soon as the sixth leader of the East Palace took over the defense of Chang'an, he left the palace and returned to the Yamen of Jingzhao Mansion, and then recalled officials at all levels. The Yamen of Jingzhao Prefecture is located in the north of the West City. After the Youtun Guards broke into the Jinguang Gate and fought with the Guanlong army here, the buildings were affected and severely damaged. Ma Zhou ordered people to make simple repairs and put the Yamen into operation immediately.
The first priority is not to deal with various affairs in Chang'an City, but because all the descendants of Guanlong were imprisoned, which caused a serious shortage of officials at all levels in the Yamen of Jingzhao Mansion. These officials from Guanlong were arrested, and half of Jingzhao was The government is paralyzed...
In troubled times, heavy codes were used, and Ma Zhou couldn't care less at the moment. Every extra day, the people under the rule of Jingzhao Mansion would suffer one more day of panic and hardship. He immediately ordered the officials who were imprisoned because of their origins in Guanlong to be replaced by their subordinates in turn. Temporarily perform functions on behalf of his official position.
With this order, the entire Jingzhao Mansion was in high spirits and beaming with joy.
In the official career, who doesn’t want to go further, get promoted and make a fortune? It's just that in the past, those Guanlong disciples with strong backgrounds occupied important positions, leaving subordinates with no hope of promotion, often with low morale and perfunctory work. Now it seems that those Guanlong disciples who were imprisoned will probably never come back. Even if they come back, it is unlikely that they will be reinstated. Therefore, if they replace Shangguan now and perform well in the subsequent process of reviving Chang'an and rebuilding Guanzhong, it will be extremely It is possible to secure this position.
As the emperor and the courtiers, everyone knew that the prince was about to ascend the throne, and as the prince's minister, Ma Zhou was bound to enter the center naturally, and his status would be improved. The Jingzhao Mansion would naturally rise, and everyone from top to bottom would become the new king's team...
This is simply pie in the sky, who dares not to do his best?
For a time, the morale of the entire Jingzhao Mansion skyrocketed. All officials kept their feet on the ground and were full of energy. They carried out Ma Zhou's orders meticulously, repaired damaged walls and collapsed buildings, dredged culverts and waterways, cleaned up streets and lanes, and provided relief to orphans and widows to maintain public order. Assisting Ma Zhou to quickly calm and stabilize the people in the city, all people's livelihood was in order, and the previous dilapidation caused by the war began to recover very quickly.
Gao Kan led the elite Chen soldiers of the Youtun Guards to the foot of Zhongnan Mountain and blocked the remaining Guanlong army on Zhongnan Mountain. He only waited for the order from the East Palace and launched a fierce attack with the force of a tiger attacking a sheep, giving the remaining Guanlong troops a fatal blow. hit.
……
There were successive battles in the Taiji Palace, and the various palaces were seriously damaged. The garden scenery was almost completely gone, and everything was desolate. The reconstruction of Chang'an began, and negotiations with Guanlong were also ongoing. The prince could not stay in the Youtunwei camp for a long time, so he moved back to Taiji Palace and lived in the Wude Palace, which was relatively lightly damaged, as a temporary office.
However, because the current situation was undecided, the Crown Princess and a group of concubines continued to stay in the Youtunwei camp. In order to avoid suspicion, Fang Jun stayed in the Chinese army's tent for many days and did not dare to enter the rear army. Otherwise, if anyone was brave, Impeaching him as a "promiscuous palace" could not be washed away even by jumping into the Yellow River...
In the Hall of Wude, sandalwood is curling up in the bronze beast furnace, rain is gurgling outside the bamboo curtains, and the open windows can reveal the flat ground in the courtyard outside. The original flowers, trees, rockeries, and scenery have been destroyed. The maids and chamberlains in the palace have leveled the courtyard. After some time, I haven't had time to plant flowers and trees or decorate the landscape, and it looks a bit dilapidated.
The prince withdrew his gaze from the courtyard, patted the memorial on the desk, and faced the four people in front of him: Fang Jun, Xiao Yu, Cen Wenwen, and Li Daozong said: "Ma Zhou is really a capable minister. In just a few days, the chaotic Chang'an City was brought to an end." After renovation, various people’s livelihoods have been restored one after another, and the east and west cities will be able to open in a few days, which is indispensable.”
Fang Jun nodded and said: "In the field of internal affairs, Ma Zhou is not only young and powerful, but also decisive in killing. A mere Jingzhao Prefect is not enough to show his ability. His Highness should give him an extra burden. Think about it, it will not make him angry." Your Highness is disappointed.”
Li Chengqian nodded slowly. During this mutiny, Ma Zhou was with him from beginning to end. Even when the situation was the most critical, he never showed any timidity or flinch. Naturally, he wanted to reciprocate for such a capable and loyal minister.
On the side, Xiao Yu seemed unwilling to have a substantive discussion on Ma Zhou's issue, and said in a deep voice: "Guan Long has never given a definite answer to His Highness's conditions. The old minister thought that he should order Gao Kan's troops to conduct a feint attack as a way of doing this. Deterrence, forcing Guan Long to make up his mind this morning, Li Ji is about to arrive in Chang'an, Guan Long can delay, but we can't."
Cen Wenwen raised his eyelids, glanced at Xiao Yu, and said nothing.
Li Chengqian frowned and thought for a while, looked at Fang Jun and asked Wen Yan: "What does the Duke of Yue think?"
This attitude made Xiao Yu and Cen Wenwen a little bit disgusted... Although everyone knew that Fang Jun's contribution in the mutiny was worthy of being protected by heaven, the fact that the prince valued him so highly still made people feel jealous. (End of chapter)